In This Moment
by BelovedSlayer
Summary: Buffy is alone in her house when she senses a familiar presence nearby.


**Summary: Buffy is alone in her house when she senses a familiar presence watching her. **

**Author's Notes: Sets place before the episode When She Was Bad, but is also alternate universe. **

**Chapter One.**

**Dressed in her trademark silk pink pajamas, she trudged her way downstairs to the first floor, her throat panged with a insatiable thirst as she made her way towards the darkened kitchen. Her mother was out of town; in L.A. to purchase a few things for a upcoming special event for the gallery. Buffy was alone, but her mind was plagued with countless thoughts; some good, some bad. Emotionally, she was not entirely over killing the Master; knowing fully aware that she had lost her life in the process while trying to prevent him from being released upon the Hellmouth. **

**For a moment, he had succeeded, until her friend Xander had revived her. There were days where she kept to herself because of it. Day by day, parts of her were accepting what had happened, attempting to move on in the process. Other days, it was sheer torture, especially where Angel was concerned. She hadn't seen him since she had returned from L.A.**

**With the image of him in her thoughts, she felt a deep twist in her heart. And then, a familiar tingle in the root of her stomach. She felt him nearby. Before she could grab a glass of water, she hurried along towards the living room, reaching towards the opened window, scanning out into the darkness to see if he was there, lurking in the shadows as he had always done. She saw nothing, only a furry orange cat scampering along the sidewalk. **

**She scolded to herself in annoyance. Of course, even if she had seen him, there was no way that they could try for a normal relationship. He was a vampire; the infamous Angelus, the One with the Angelic Face. She was the Slayer. They were destined to be mortal enemies. At least that was what Fate had conspired wasn't it? Or in correction, the Powers That Be. Buffy had vowed that if there was a slight chance of meeting those who had decided to make her become the Chosen One, she would complained about the happiness clause that was preventing her and Angel to be together. **

**It so wasn't fair. And she had already died once for their cause. Even a thank-you card would have been better than nothing. In spite of this, she snickered with a small smile. **

**A noise close to her front yard had pulled her abruptly out of her thoughts. Slayer senses on high alert, she contemplated whether or not to grab a stake nearby. She kept weapons such as axes, stakes, picks, and crossbows hidden in nearly every entry of the house in case of a demon emergency or apocalypse. **

**She shrugged, ducking to pull a stake that was hidden underneath the love seat. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously took a step forward towards the door, releasing the locks with a loud clack. She wasn't going to take a chance of inviting a vampire in, unless it was Angel. She peered through the front yard, until she heard a loud scuffling in the bushes by the side of the house. Sighing in feign irritation, she wandered over to the rhododendron bushes, hands brushing against the branches. **

"**I give you to the count of one to ten, and by ten, I will plunged this stake into your heart, unless you come out when I count to three, or something," she warned indignantly. "Buffy?" a soft voice emerged from behind her. **

"**Angel?" She whispered, noticing that the scuffling from the bushes was none other than the orange cat from earlier, seeming to play hide-and-seek with the Slayer. "Oh boy, is this embarrassing," she mumbled, before turning to face Angel. All was forgotten as her eyes were drinking in his features. Spiky brown hair, deep chocolate brown eyes that appear to bore directly into his soul, wearing his black dust jacket, hands drenched in its' pockets. He wore a melancholy expression on his face. **

**She had almost forgotten what it was like to be face to face to him. The emotions she had buried deep within herself as they had realized that they could never be together, to the passion that they had felt when they had their first kiss, before she knew that he was one of the undead, to the moment where they had stood before the bones of the Master. In one distinct moment, she had dropped her stake all together, walking quickly towards his open arms as they embraced each other; as if they hadn't seen each other in years instead of merely a few months. **

**She peered into his longing gaze, tears welling in her eyes. "I missed you." "I missed you too," he cried, before he placed his cold lips on hers, his fingers entwining in her hair as they deepened the kiss. It didn't matter what the Powers had thought of a vampire and Slayer being in love; as long as they were together, she knew that they could face anything that the world could throw at them. No matter what the future may bring, she hoped that they could face the potential obstacles together. **

**But for now, in his arms, she felt it was her real home. **


End file.
